Transmission and reception of sidelink positioning reference signal.

Description

1 / 39 TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION OF SIDELINK POSITIONING REFERENCE SIGNAL TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] This disclosure relates to communication devices and communication methods for transmitting and receiving sidelink positioning reference signals (SL-PRS). BACKGROUND

[0002] Sidelink positioning (SL) was specified in 3GPP Version 18 Expanded and Enhanced New Radio (NR) Positioning, as described in WID RP-223549. A work item related to sidelink positioning was recently introduced in 3GPP version 18 to support sidelink positioning and range with the Sidelink Positioning Reference Signal (SL-PRS).

[0003] However, there has been no discussion yet on how the transmission and reception of SL-PRS can be implemented.

[0004] There is therefore a need for communication devices and methods that provide viable technical solutions for the transmission and reception of SL-PRS. Furthermore, other desirable features and capabilities will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and appended claims, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this disclosure context. SUMMARY

[0005] Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments facilitate the provision of communication devices and methods for SL-PRS transmission and reception.

[0006] According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided comprising: a circuit which, when in operation, generates a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and a transmitter which, when in operation, transmits the SL-PRS based on a signal.

[0007] According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided comprising: a receiver, which in operation, receives a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) based on a signaling; and; a circuit, which in operation, decodes the SL-PRS. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 11 / 88 2 / 39

[0008] According to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a first communication apparatus is provided comprising: a circuit which, when in operation, generates a signal indicating a request to transmit or receive a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and a transmitter which, when in operation, transmits the signal to a second communication apparatus.

[0009] According to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided comprising: the generation of a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and transmission of the SL-PRS based on a signaling.

[0010] It should be noted that general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0011] Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the descriptive report and drawings. The benefits and / or advantages may be obtained individually by the various embodiments and features of the descriptive report and drawings, which do not all need to be provided to obtain one or more of these benefits and / or advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The achievements of the disclosure will be better understood and readily apparent to a person skilled in the art from the following written description, by way of example only and in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0013] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary 3GPP NR radio access network (NRRAN) architecture to which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0014] Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic drawing showing the functional division between NG-RAN and 5G Core Network (5GC) to which the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be applied.

[0015] Fig. 3 illustrates a sequence diagram for RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection configuration / reconfiguration procedures to which the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be applied.

[0016] Fig. 4 depicts a schematic drawing showing usage scenarios for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), machine-based mass communications. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 12 / 88 3 / 39 (mMTC) and ultra-reliable, low-latency communications (URLLC) to which the exemplary achievements of this disclosure can be applied.

[0017] Fig. 5 shows a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary 5G system architecture for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication in a non-routing scenario to which the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0018] Fig. 6 shows an illustration of different signals to activate the SL-PRS transmission according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 7 shows an illustration of a one-to-one resource reservation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 8 shows an illustration of a resource reservation from one to multiples according to various realizations of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 9 shows an illustration of a multiple resource reserve for one in accordance with various realizations of the present disclosure.

[0022] Fig. 10 shows an illustration of a one-to-two resource reserve according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 11 shows an illustration of a window-based SL-PRS transmission according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 12 shows an illustration of an SL-PRS transmission based on a counter according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 13 shows an illustration of different signals to trigger SL-PRS reception according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 14 shows an illustration of a window-based SL-PRS reception according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 15 shows an illustration of an SL-PRS reception based on a counter according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 16 shows an illustration of different signage for requesting SL-PRS according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 17 shows an illustration for assigning time displacement according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig. 18 shows an illustration for frequency shift assignment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 13 / 88 4 / 39

[0031] Fig. 19 shows an illustration of an SL-PRS transmission driven by a base station (gNB) or user equipment (UE) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 20 shows an illustration of an SL-PRS receiver driven by a gNB or UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 21 shows an illustration of a request signal for SL-PRS transmission according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 22 shows an illustration of a request sign for receiving SL-PRS according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig. 23 shows a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to various realizations.

[0036] Figure 24 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to various embodiments.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily represented to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the illustrations, block diagrams, or flowcharts may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in improving understanding of the present embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings. Similar numbers and reference characters in the drawings refer to similar or equivalent elements.

[0039] Among other things, the overall system architecture assumes a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) comprising gNBs, providing the terminations of the radio access user plane protocols (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) to the user equipment (UE). The gNBs are interconnected with each other via the Xn interface. The gNBs are also connected, via the Next Generation (NG) interface, to the NGC (Next Generation Core), more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a specific central entity that runs the AMF) via the NG-C interface and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a specific central entity that runs the UPF) via Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 14 / 88 5 / 39 middle of the NG-U interface. The NG-RAN 100 architecture is illustrated in Figure 1 (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 v16.3.0, section 4).

[0040] The user plane protocol stack for New Radio (NR) (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, section 4.4.1) comprises the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol, see section 6.4 of TS 38.300), RLC (Radio Link Control, see section 6.3 of TS 38.300), and MAC (Medium Access Control, see section 6.2 of TS 38.300) sublayers, which terminate in gNB on the network side. In addition, a new access layer (AS) sublayer (SDAP, Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced above PDCP (see, for example, subclause 6.5 of 3GPP TS 38.300). A control plane protocol stack is also defined for NR (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 4.4.2). An overview of Layer 2 functions is presented in subclause 6 of TS 38.300. The functions of the PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers are listed in sections 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of TS 38.300, respectively.The functions of the RRC layer are listed in subclause 7 of TS 38.300. In addition, sidelink communications are introduced in 3GPP TS 38.300 v16.3.0. The sidelink supports direct EU-EU communication using sidelink resource allocation modes, physical layer signals / channels, and physical layer procedures (see, for example, section 5.7 of TS 38.300).

[0041] For example, the Media Access Control layer handles multiplexing of logical channels and scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including handling different numerologies.

[0042] The physical layer (PHY) is, for example, responsible for encoding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping the signal to the appropriate physical frequency time-resource. It also handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to the set of frequency time-resources used for transmission of a specific transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, the physical channels are Random Access Physical Channel (PRACH), Uplink Shared Physical Channel (PUSCH), and Uplink Control Physical Channel (PUCCH) for uplink and Physical Channel. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 15 / 88 6 / 39 Shared Downlink Channel (PDSCH), Downlink Control Physical Channel (PDCCH), and Transmission Physical Channel (PBCH) for downlink. Additionally, sidelink physical channels include Sidelink Control Physical Channel (PSCCH), Sidelink Shared Physical Channel (PSSCH), Sidelink Physical Channel (PSFCH), and Sidelink Transmission Physical Channel (PSBCH).

[0043] Use cases / deployment scenarios for NR may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC), which have diverse requirements in terms of data rates, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps downlink and 10 Gbps uplink) and user-experienced data rates on the order of three times that offered by IMT-Advanced. On the other hand, in the case of URLLC, the most stringent requirements are imposed on ultra-low latency (0.5 ms for UL and DL each for user plane latency) and high reliability (1-10-5 in 1 ms). Finally, mMTC may preferably require high connection density (1,000,000 devices / km2 in an urban environment), wide coverage in harsh environments, and extremely long battery life for low-cost devices (15 years).

[0044] Therefore, the numerology of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) duration, number of symbols per scheduling interval) that is suitable for one use case may not work well for another. For example, low-latency services may preferably require a shorter symbol duration (and therefore larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also known as TTI) than an mMTC service. Additionally, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spans may preferably require a longer CP duration than scenarios with short delay spans. Subcarrier spacing should be optimized appropriately to maintain similar CP overhead. NR can support more than one subcarrier spacing value.Correspondingly, subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz... is currently being considered. The symbol duration Tu and the subcarrier spacing Δf are directly related through the formula Δf = 1 / Tu. Similar to LTE systems, the term "feature element" can be used to denote one. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 16 / 88 7 / 39 minimum resource unit consisting of a subcarrier with the length of an OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0045] In the new 5G-NR radio system, for each numerology and carrier, a grid of subcarrier and OFDM symbol features is defined, respectively, for uplink and downlink. Each element in the feature grid is called a feature element and is identified based on the frequency index in the frequency domain and the symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 v16.3.0).

[0046] The schematic drawing (200) in Figure 2 illustrates the functional division between NGRAN and 5GC. The logical node of NG-RAN is a gNB or ng-eNB. 5GC has the following logical nodes: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), User Plane Function (UPF) and Session Management Function (SMF).

[0047] In particular, gNB and ng-eNB host the following core functions: - Functions for managing radio resources, such as radio carrier control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in uplink and downlink (scheduling); - IP header compression, encryption, and data integrity protection; - Selection of an AMF in the UE connection when no routing to an AMF can be determined from the information provided by the UE; - Routing data from the user plane to UPF(s); - Routing of information from the Control Plane to AMF; - Connection setup and release; - Scheduling and transmitting pagination messages; - Scheduling and transmission of system transmission information (originating from AMF or OAM); - Measurement configuration and measurement reports for mobility and scheduling; - Marking of transport-level packets on the uplink; Session Management; - Support for network slicing; - QoS flow management and mapping for data radio carriers; - Support for UEs in the RRC_INACTIVE state; - Distribution function for NAS messages; - Sharing of radio access network; Dual connectivity; Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 17 / 88 8 / 39 - Close interaction between NR and E-UTRA.

[0048] The Access and Mobility Management (AMF) function hosts the following main functions: - Non-Accessible Stratum, NAS, signaling termination; - Safety signage NAS; Access Stratum, AS, Security Control; - Inter-Core Network, CN, node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks; - EU reach in idle mode (including control and execution of paging retransmission); - Management of the Registration Area; - Support for intra- and inter-system mobility; - Access authentication; - Access authorization including verification of roaming rights; - Mobility management control (subscription and policies); - Support for network slicing; - Session management function, SMF, selection.

[0049] In addition, the User Plan Function, UPF, hosts the following core functions: - Anchor point for Intra / Inter-RAT mobility (when applicable); - External PDU session point for interconnection with the data network; - Routing and forwarding of packets; - Packet inspection and part of the user plan in the application of policy rules; Traffic usage reports; - Uplink classifier to support routing traffic flows to a data network; - Branching point to support multihomed PDU session; - QoS manipulation for user plan, for example, packet filtering, access control, UL / DL rate application; - Uplink traffic verification (SDF flow mapping to QoS); - Buffering of downlink packets and triggering of downlink data notification. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 18 / 88 9 / 39

[0050] Finally, the Session Management function, SMF, hosts the following main functions: Session Management; - Allocation and management of EU IP addresses; - Selection and control of the UP function; - Configuring traffic routing in the User Plan Function (UPF) to direct traffic to the appropriate destination; - Control over the application of policies and QoS; - Downlink data notification.

[0051] The sequence diagram (300) in Fig. 3 illustrates some interactions between a UE, gNB and AMF (a 5GC entity) in the context of a UE transition from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED to the NAS part (see TS 38.300 v16.3.0). The transition steps are as follows: 1. The UE requests the configuration of a new RRC_IDLE connection. 2 / 2a. gNB completes the RRC configuration procedure. NOTE: The scenario in which gNB rejects the request is described below. 3. The first NAS message from the UE, included in the RRCCompleteConfiguration, is sent to the AMF. 4 / 4a / 5 / 5a. Additional NAS messages can be exchanged between the UE and the AMF, see reference TS 23.502

[22] (3GPP TS 23.122: NAS Functions (Non-Access Stratum) related to Mobile Station in idle mode). 6. The AMF prepares the EU context data (including the PDU session context, security key, EU radio capability and EU security capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB. 7 / 7a. gNB activates AS security with UE. 8 / 8a. gNB performs the reconfiguration to configure SRB2 and the DRBs. 9. gNB informs AMF that the configuration procedure has been completed.

[0052] RRC is a higher-layer signaling protocol used for UE and gNB configuration. In particular, this transition involves the preparation of UE context data (including, for example, the PDU session context, the Security Key, the UE Radio Capability, and the UE Security Capabilities, etc.) by the AMF, sending it to the gNB with the INITIAL CONTEXT CONFIGURATION REQUEST. Then, the gNB activates the Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 19 / 88 10 / 39 AS security with the UE, which is performed by gNB transmitting a SecurityCommandMode message to the UE and by the UE responding to gNB with a SecurityCompleteMode message. Subsequently, gNB performs reconfiguration to configure Signaling Radio Carrier 2, SRB2, and the Data Radio Carrier(s), DRB(s), transmitting the RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and, in response, receiving the RRCCompleteReconfiguration message from the UE. For a signaling-only connection, the steps related to RRC reconfiguration are ignored, as SRB2 and the DRBs are not configured. Finally, gNB informs the AMF that the configuration procedure has been completed with the INITIAL CONTEXT CONFIGURATION RESPONSE.

[0053] The schematic drawing (400) in Fig. 4 illustrates some use cases for 5G NR. In the third-generation partnership project for new radios (3GPP NR), three use cases are being considered and are projected to support a wide variety of services and applications by IMT-2020. The technical specification for phase 1 of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) has been completed. In addition to further extending eMBB support, current and future work would involve standardization for ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). Fig. 4 illustrates some examples of use cases projected for IMT 2020 and beyond (see, for example, ITU-R M.2083 Fig. 2).

[0054] The URLLC use case has stringent requirements for features such as throughput, latency, and availability and was conceived as one of the enablers for future vertical applications such as wireless control of industrial manufacturing or production processes, remote medical surgery, distribution automation in a smart grid, transportation security, etc. Ultra reliability for URLLC must be supported by identifying techniques to meet the requirements defined by TR 38.913. For NR URLLC in version 15, the main requirements include a target user plane latency of 0.5 ms for UL (uplink) and 0.5 ms for DL ​​(downlink). The general URLLC requirement for a packet transmission is a BLER (block error rate) of 1E-5 for a packet size of 32 bytes with a user plane latency of 1 ms. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 20 / 88 11 / 39

[0055] From the perspective of the physical layer, reliability can be improved in several ways. The current scope for improving reliability involves defining separate CQI tables for URLLC, more compact DCI formats, PDCCH repetition, etc. However, the scope can be expanded to achieve ultra-reliability as NR becomes more stable and developed (for the main requirements of NR URLLC). Specific use cases of NR URLLC in Rel. 15 include Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-security, and mission-critical applications.

[0056] In addition, the technological enhancements targeted by NR URLLC aim to improve latency and reliability. Technological enhancements for latency improvement include configurable numerology, mini-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, grant-free uplink (configured grant), mini-slot-level replay for data channels, and downlink preemption. Preemption means that a transmission for which resources have already been allocated is interrupted, and the already allocated resources are used for another transmission that was requested later but has lower latency / higher priority requirements. Consequently, the already granted transmission is preempted by a later transmission. Preemption is applicable regardless of the specific service type. For example, a transmission for service type A (such as URLLC) can be preempted by a transmission for service type B (such as eMBB).Technological enhancements related to improving reliability include Channel Quality Indicator Tables / Modulation and Coding Scheme (CQI / MCS) for the target 1E-5 BLER.

[0057] The mMTC (massive machine-type communication) use case is characterized by a large number of connected devices, typically transmitting a relatively low volume of delay-insensitive data. The devices need to be low-cost and have long battery life. From the NR perspective, using components with very narrow bandwidth is a possible solution to save energy from the user's point of view and allow for long battery life.

[0058] As mentioned above, the scope of reliability in NR is expected to become broader. A fundamental requirement for all cases, and especially necessary for URLLC and mMTC, is high or ultra reliability. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 21 / 88 12 / 39 Reliability. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from both a radio and network perspective. In general, there are some important potential areas that can help improve reliability. Among these areas are compact control channel information, data / control channel repetition, and diversity with respect to frequency, time domain, and / or spatial domain. These areas are applicable to reliability in general, regardless of specific communication scenarios.

[0059] For NR URLLC, other use cases with more stringent requirements were identified, such as industrial automation, transportation industry, and electrical power distribution. The more stringent requirements are higher reliability (up to level 10-6), higher availability, packet sizes up to 256 bytes, time synchronization on the order of a few μs, where the value can be one or a few μs depending on the frequency band, and short latency on the order of 0.5 to 1 ms, in particular a latency of 0.5 ms on the target user plane, depending on the use cases.

[0060] In addition, for NR URLLC, several technological enhancements were identified from the perspective of the physical layer. Among them, the enhancements in PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) related to compact DCI, PDCCH repetition, and enhanced PDCCH monitoring stand out. Furthermore, the enhancements in UCI (Uplink Control Information) are related to improvements in HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) and CSI feedback. Enhancements in PUSCH related to minislot level hopping and retransmission / repeat enhancements were also identified. The term minislot refers to a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) that includes a smaller number of symbols than a slot (a slot comprising fourteen symbols).

[0061] The 5G QoS (Quality of Service) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require a guaranteed flow bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). At the NAS level, the QoS flow is therefore the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in a PDU session. A QoS flow is identified within a PDU session by a QoS flow ID (QFI) transmitted in a encapsulation header by the NG-U interface. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 22 / 88 13 / 39

[0062] For each UE, the 5GC establishes one or more PDU Sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Radio Data Carrier (DRB) along with the PDU Session, and additional DRB(s) for the QoS flow(s) of this PDU session may be configured later (it is up to the NG-RAN to decide when to do so), for example, as shown above with reference to Figure 3. The NGRAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NGRAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0063] The block diagram (500) in Fig. 5 illustrates a non-roaming 5G NR reference architecture (see TS 23.287 v16.4.0, section 4.2.1.1). An Application Function (AF), for example, an external application server hosting 5G services, exemplarily described in Fig. 4, interacts with the 3GPP Core Network to provide services, for example, to support application influence on traffic routing, access the Network Exposure Function (NEF), or interact with the Policy framework for policy control (see Policy Control Function, PCF), for example, QoS control. Based on the operator's deployment, Application Functions deemed trustworthy by the operator may be permitted to interact directly with the relevant Network Functions. Application Functions to which the operator does not permit direct access to the Network Functions use the external exposure framework via the NEF to interact with the relevant Network Functions.

[0064] Figure 5 shows other functional units of the 5G architecture for V2X communication, namely: Unified Data Management (UDM), Policy Control Function (PCF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Application Function (AF), Unified Data Repository (UDR), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and User Plane Function (UPF) in 5GC, as well as with V2X Application Server (V2AS) and Data Network (DN), for example, carrier services, internet access, or third-party services. All or part of the core network functions and application services can be deployed and run in cloud computing environments. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 23 / 88 14 / 39

[0065] Reusing the existing downlink (DL) positioning reference signal (PRS) for SL PRS is not straightforward, as SL is an UE-UE transmission, while DL is a gNB-UE transmission. DL-PRS is scheduled by the gNB, which has full control over uplink (UL) and DL resources. SL-PRS will be sent by each UE, and UEs have no control over the SL resources needed for SL-PRS transmission. In other words, SL transmissions are distributed among UEs, while DL transmissions are centralized from a gNB. Transmission is done by sensing-based resource selection or random resource selection. In Scheme 2 (or mode 2), due to the lack of centralized scheduling by the gNB, transmission procedures need to be redesigned, considering potential collisions and radio congestion control.

[0066] Other differences are as follows. The power available to a UE for SL-PRS transmission is generally limited by battery life, whereas power is generally not an issue for DL-PRS, as the gNB is usually powered by electricity. Power control for distributed UEs is also not as straightforward as the centralized scheduling of gNB. Therefore, power saving is more critical in SL-PRS, but not so much for DL-PRS. SL positioning primarily measures UE-UE distance; DL, on the other hand, primarily measures gNB-UE distance. SL positioning is more related to security use cases, while DL is more for the knowledge of a gNB. Therefore, the latency requirement for SL positioning is more critical for security considerations. A UE sending or receiving an SL-PRS transmission is likely working in unlicensed spectrum, while DL is usually in licensed spectrum.SL spectrum may experience disruption from other technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi), while DL spectrum likely relies solely on DL and UL scheduling by gNB. Therefore, there is a need to investigate and explore new solutions to address the differences between SL and DL, especially considering congestion control, energy efficiency, public safety, and distributed UE scheduling for SL-PRS transmission.

[0067] Currently, the SL-PRS project focuses primarily on the SLPRS itself (i.e., sequence generation, initialization, time reference and frequency reference) and is mainly based on the perspective of a single UE, without any consideration for “over-the-air” signaling, for example, with other UEs or gNB. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 24 / 88 15 / 39 The transmission of an SL-PRS is only achieved with some methodology regarding resource allocation from the perspective of a UE in terms of time and frequency. In this disclosure, methods for UE-gNB, gNB-UE, and UE-UE interactions for SL-PRS are proposed. In particular, a solution for SL-PRS triggering is proposed, including various aspects of how transmission and reception can be triggered using different energy-saving and congestion control techniques.

[0068] This disclosure proposes triggering procedures related to SLPRS based on signaling to an UE. The SL-PRS procedure may consist of transmitting and receiving SL-PRS. The signaling may be based on a (pre-)configuration, upper-layer signaling (MAC, RRC, PDCP, etc.), or PHY-layer signaling. Furthermore, the signaling may be from the UE transmitting the SL-PRS, a gNB, or one or more other UE(s). Advantageously, the signaling allows triggering of SL-PRS transmission or reception.

[0069] A UE can be configured to transmit an SL-PRS when triggered by a signal. With reference to illustration (600) in Fig. 6, the signal can be a higher-layer signal (602) associated with the UE (e.g., MAC, RRC, PDCP, application layer, or other similar higher-layer signal), a first-stage or second-stage sidelink control information (SCI) (604) received from another UE, a PDCCH (606) from a gNB (e.g., if the UE is within the gNB's coverage), or a higher-layer signal (608) from a gNB or other UE(s), thus allowing the signal origin to be flexible depending on the application. Furthermore, the use of a higher-layer signal associated with the UE allows the signal to be independent of other devices if required. It will be appreciated that various indications (602) to (608) in illustration (600) are not limited to any specific order.

[0070] Depending on the type of scenario or use case, SL-PRS transmission can be aperiodic or periodic, indicated by the trigger signaling. This allows the signaling to indicate how the SL-PRS can be transmitted (periodic or aperiodic), depending on the application. In one implementation, a time interval between each periodic SL-PRS transmission can be specified in the signaling, which can be useful for avoiding collisions with other transmissions or highlighting urgency. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 25 / 88 16 / 39 of an event associated with the transmission (e.g., in case of emergency). Aperiodic or periodic transmissions may be with or without resource reservations for random or sensing-based selection. Resource reservation may be an indication sent by an UE to reserve one or more future time and / or frequency resources. Other UEs receiving the indication will not transmit on the reserved resources to avoid mid-air collisions. Resource selection may be a one-to-one reservation as shown in illustration (700) of Fig. 7 where a first reservation (702) reserves a resource within a reservation period (706), and a second reservation (704) reserves a resource within a reservation period (708). It may also be a one-to-X reservation (e.g., one to multiple), as shown in illustration (800) of Fig.8 (for example, where X = 3 for a one-to-three reservation) wherein a first reservation (802) reserves a first resource within a reservation period (806), a second resource within a reservation period (808) and a third resource within a reservation period (810) and a second reservation (804) reserves a first resource within a reservation period (812), a second resource within a reservation period (814) and a third resource within a reservation period (816). Resource selection may also be a Y-to-one reservation (e.g., multiples to one), as shown in illustration (900) of Fig. 9 (e.g., where Y = 2 for a two-to-one reservation), in which a first reservation (902) reserves a resource within a reservation period (906) and a second reservation (904) reserves the same resource within a reservation period (908).

[0071] The reservation period can be defined in the signaling or (pre)configured. The value of X can be different for different transfers. For example, with reference to illustration (1000) of Fig. 10, a first reservation (1002) can be a one-to-two resource reservation (e.g., X = 2) in which it reserves a first resource within a reservation period (1006) and a second resource within a reservation period (1008), and a second reservation (1004) can be a one-to-one resource reservation (e.g., X = 1) in which it reserves a resource within a reservation period (1010). For Ya-1 reservations, different reservations can contain partial information. For example, a first reservation (e.g., first reservation (902) of Figure 9) can indicate a time resource, while a second reservation (e.g., second reservation (904) of Figure 9) can indicate a resource of Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 26 / 88 17 / 39 frequency. Advantageously, different resource reservation modes can be implemented depending on the application. In contrast, DL-PRS does not require different reservation types, as a gNB can dynamically schedule the DL-PRS. In an implementation, the reservation period(s) and / or information can be within a 1st stage SCI, a 2nd stage SCI, or both. For example, a 1st and a 2nd reservation can be with a 1st stage SCI (e.g., according to the Rel.16 specifications) and a 3rd reservation with a 2nd stage SCI; or the 1st reservation can be with the 1st stage SCI, and the 2nd and 3rd reservations with the 2nd stage SCI. This advantageously allows the 1st stage SCI and / or the 2nd stage SCI to be used as signaling to provide parameters for the SL-PRS resource reservation.

[0072] For energy saving and congestion control considerations, an SL-PRS transmission can be associated with a window. For example, referring to illustration (1100) in Figure 11, SL-PRS transmissions (1102), (1104) and (1106) can be configured to be transmitted within a transmission window (1108), so that no SL-PRS transmission is transmitted outside the transmission window (1108). An SL-PRS transmission can also be associated with a counter. For example, referring to illustration (1200) in Figure 12, SL-PRS transmissions (1202), (1204) and (1206) can be configured to be transmitted while a counter is still valid and running, so that no SL-PRS transmission is transmitted after the counter expires. Furthermore, an SL-PRS transmission can also be associated with a timer, so that no SL-PRS transmissions are transmitted after the timer expires.The window, counter, or timer can be (pre)configured, specified by technical specifications or suppliers, self-generated by a UE, or other similar implementations. Furthermore, the UE that receives or decodes an SL-PRS can be configured to enter power-saving mode if it is not necessary to receive or decode the SL-PRS. In one implementation, alternatively or in addition to indicating a transmission window, timer, or counter, the signaling can indicate a maximum or minimum number of SL-PRS transmissions that can be transmitted, which can be useful for power consumption and / or congestion control. These... Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 27 / 88 Measures 18 / 39 advantageously allow for energy savings and congestion control for SL-PRS transmission and reception.

[0073] In one implementation, the signaling that triggers SL-PRS transmission may contain all or part of a plurality of parameters related to SL-PRS transmission, to allow flexibility in the arrangement of SL-PRS parameters depending on the application. The parameters may be based on a (pre-)configuration, obtained from a gNB, obtained from one or more other UEs, self-generated by the UE transmitting the SL-PRS, or other similar implementations.Parameters related to SL-PRS may include, but are not limited to: subcarrier spacing (SCS), carrier phase (CP), A-point, feature set identifier (ID), periodicity, slot offset, reputation factor, time interval, muting time locations, SFN0 offset, comb size, bandwidth, initial physical feature block (PRB), number of symbols, feature ID, sequence ID, feature element offset, symbol offset, quasi-placement information (QCL), subset for angle of departure prioritization (AoD), and other similar parameters.

[0074] A UE can be configured to receive and decode an SL-PRS when triggered by a signal. With reference to illustration (1300) in Fig. 13, the signal can be a higher-layer signal (1302) associated with the UE (e.g., MAC, RRC, PDCP, application layer, or other similar higher-layer signal), a first-stage or second-stage sidelink control information (SCI) (1304) received from another UE, a PDCCH (1306) from a gNB (e.g., if the UE is within the gNB's coverage), or a higher-layer signal (1308) from a gNB or other UE(s), thus allowing the signal origin to be flexible depending on the application. Furthermore, the use of a higher-layer signal associated with the UE allows the signal to be independent of other devices, if required. It will be appreciated that several indications (1302) to (1308) in illustration (1300) are not limited to any specific order.

[0075] For energy saving and congestion control considerations, the reception of an SL-PRS can be associated with a window. For example, referring to illustration (1400) in Figure 14, SL-PRS (1402), (1404) and (1406) can be configured to be received and / or decoded within a window of Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 28 / 88 19 / 39 reception (1408), so that no SL-PRS is received and / or decoded outside the reception window (1408). SL-PRS reception can also be associated with a counter. For example, referring to illustration (1500) in Figure 15, SL-PRS (1502), (1504) and (1506) can be configured to be received and / or decoded while a counter is still valid and running, so that no SL-PRS is received and / or decoded after the counter expires. Furthermore, SL-PRS reception can also be associated with a timer, so that no SL-PRS is received and / or decoded after the timer expires. The window, counter or timer can be (pre-)configured, specified by technical specifications or suppliers, self-generated by a UE or other similar implementations.In one implementation, alternatively or in addition to indicating a transmission window, timer, or counter, the signaling can indicate a maximum or minimum number of SL-PRS transmissions that can be received and / or decoded, which can be useful for energy consumption and / or congestion control. Furthermore, the UE receiving and / or decoding an SL-PRS can be configured to enter power-saving mode if it is not necessary to receive and / or decode the SL-PRS. These measures advantageously allow for energy savings and congestion control for both SL-PRS transmission and reception.

[0076] A UE (e.g., a requesting UE) can be configured to request that one or more other UEs (e.g., one or more requested UEs) transmit an SL-PRS for different use cases. The requested UEs can be all UEs that received the request from the requesting UE or only certain anchor UEs (e.g., based on a UE type, such as a roadside unit (RSU) or other UE type(s)). The requesting UE can also be configured to request that one or more other UEs receive the subsequent SL-PRS transmission from the requesting UE. The request to transmit or receive an SL-PRS transmission can be based on SCI triggering and can include a request relayed by a gNB (e.g., via a UL and then via a DL transmission).For example, a requesting UE can transmit a request message to its gNB via UL (e.g., PUCCH or PUSCH), and the gNB can use DL (e.g., PDCCH and / or PDSCH) to request that other UE(s) send(s) an SL-PRS to the requesting UE (e.g., Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 29 / 88 20 / 39 example, via unicast / groupcast / broadcast). By indicating one or more UEs or one or more UE types to transmit or receive SL-PRS in the signaling, broadcast / groupcast signaling can be advantageously enabled, while selectively indicating which UE will transmit or receive SL-PRS. Furthermore, requesting an SL-PRS transmission or reception is useful for use cases with critical latency and congestion control.

[0077] Depending on different priorities or use cases, a UE can be configured to use PHY signaling (e.g., 1st or 2nd stage SCI) or higher-layer signaling (e.g., MAC-CE, RRC, or other similar higher-layer signaling) to request PRS transmission or reception, based on a priority associated with PRS transmission. This allows the signaling transmission mode to be defined depending on a priority associated with SL-PRS, so that a more efficient transmission mode can be provided for a higher priority. For example, with reference to Illustration (1600) of Figure 16, for a high-priority use case (1602) (e.g., a priority level of 0, 1, 2), SL-PRS transmission or reception can be requested via SCI (1604) for a simple and fast response, which is advantageous especially for security use cases.A potential use case for using an SCI request as a signal for SL-PRS could be for reach applications to take advantage of faster processing time. However, relative and / or absolute horizontal and vertical positioning parameters may be missing when using the SCI request.

[0078] For a medium priority use case (1606) (e.g., a priority level of 3, 4, 5), SL-PRS can be requested via MAC-CE (1608). A MAC-CE request typically requires more time to measure and calculate a horizontal and vertical distance (e.g., for geolocation purposes), which may be more suitable for use in locations with stacked road structures such as overpasses and bridges. A potential use case for using MACCE requests as signage for SL-PRS could be in relative positioning applications, where RSUs could be placed on overpasses to assist in guiding drivers to the correct lane.

[0079] In addition, for a low priority use case (1610) (for example, a priority level of 6 or 7), SL-PRS can be requested via a Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 30 / 88 21 / 39 RRC Request (1612). An RRC Request typically provides the most accurate positioning parameters among other use cases (e.g., compared to an SCI request or a MAC-CE request), but it is also the most time-consuming and requires GNSS assistance. A potential use case for using the RRC Request as signaling for SL-PRS could be for absolute positioning and geofencing applications (e.g., Scheme 1 or Scheme 2).

[0080] It should be noted that the various use cases (1602), (1606) and (1610), as shown in illustration (1600), should not be limited to any specific order or priority. Furthermore, the various use cases (1602), (1606) and (1610) are merely examples and are not limited to the signaling, priority value or use case specified.

[0081] A UE (e.g., a requesting UE) can be configured to explicitly request one or more UEs to transmit an SL-PRS to the requesting UE. If requests are transmitted via unicast messages, the requesting UE can be configured to assign a different time or frequency offset to the other requested UE(s) (e.g., the requesting UE acting as a scheduling UE for the SL-PRS transmission). For example, illustration (1700) in Figure 17 describes a time offset assignment in which a first SL-PRS is assigned to be received by a requesting UE from a first UE on a time resource (1702), a second SL-PRS is assigned to be received by the requesting UE from a second UE on a time resource (1704), and a third SL-PRS is assigned to be received by the requesting UE from a third UE on a time resource (1706).By adopting different time shift levels, frequency resources can be different OFDM symbols, slots, subframes, and other similar resources. In another example, illustration (1800) of Figure 18 describes a frequency shift assignment in which a first SL-PRS is assigned to be received by a requesting UE of a first UE on a frequency resource (1802), a second SL-PRS is assigned to be received by the requesting UE of a second UE on a frequency resource (1804), and a third SL-PRS is assigned to be received by the requesting UE of a third UE on a frequency resource (1806). By adopting different frequency shift levels, frequency resources can be different resource elements (REs). Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 31 / 88 22 / 39 resource blocks (RBs), subchannels, and other similar resources. It is also possible to combine time and frequency offsets for SL-PRS transmission. By specifying a time or frequency offset for SL-PRS transmission when transmitting signaling via unicast, it is possible to improve resource management for SL-PRS transmission. If requests are transmitted via groupcast or broadcast messages, the requesting UE may not be able to assign offsets. Instead, one or more UEs can be configured to derive the offsets themselves. The derivation can be based on an identifier (ID), such as a synchronization ID, a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), or other similar parameters.

[0082] In one example, public service vehicles can be configured to have a dedicated ID, a zone ID, and radio collision avoidance capabilities with SL-PRS. These public service vehicles can be configured to transmit a signal requesting that the nearby pedestrian UE (UE) (P-UE) and / or nearby vehicular UE (V-UE) listen for the emerging SL-PRS and yield the right of way. In addition, a P-UE can also request that one or more nearby V-UE(s) transmit their SL-PRS for the P-UE's safety purposes (especially when the P-UE is crossing a roadway) and assess whether it is in a dangerous situation by measuring and calculating a distance based on the SL-PRS received from the V-UE(s).

[0083] In one implementation, for an UE (e.g., an anchor UE) that is configured to transmit SL-PRS periodically, the SL-PRS can be sent together with or attached to an SL-SSB (e.g., with the same periodicity), or transmitted separately with a different periodicity. Other UEs can be configured to use these transmitted SL-PRSs to measure and calculate relative positions. The anchor UE can be a RSU or a public service vehicle (e.g., bus, ambulance, fire truck, police car, or other similar public service vehicles). It is important to note that a UE can be configured to transmit the SL-PRS via broadcast, groupcast, or unicast periodically or aperiodically, depending on the application.

[0084] For example, public service vehicles (e.g., ambulance, fire truck, police car) can be configured to periodically transmit SL-PRS during an emergency. Other types of vehicles will give way upon successfully receiving and decoding the transmitted SL-PRS. One or more RSUs can Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 32 / 88 23 / 39 can be placed on overpasses, especially those with a complex network, to assist in guiding drivers to the correct lane ID (e.g., by displacement assignment or resource allocation). With the implementation of zone IDs in an overpass network, a vehicle on an upper layer of an overpass will not be erroneously marked as dangerous to vehicles on lower layers. RSUs can also be configured to transmit SL-PRS associated with a specific zone ID (e.g., by displacement assignment or resource allocation) to prohibit vehicles / pedestrians from entering certain restricted areas (e.g., geofenced areas). Furthermore, RSUs installed in shopping malls or multi-story parking garages can broadcast, groupcast, or unicast SL-PRS to V-UE or P-UE at the correct level (e.g., to indicate areas with more parking spaces available, indicate an emergency exit, etc.).This may involve one or more parameters such as zone ID, offset assignment, ID-filtered reception, and others, and may also require assistance from the application layer.

[0085] Backward compatibility with Rel. 18 and Rel. 16 / 17 UEs is also important, especially in cases where Rel. 16 / 17 and Rel. 18 UEs are on the same spectrum or feature set. To ensure quality of service, Rel. 16 / 17 UEs need to be able to understand at least some of the Rel. 18 signaling. For example, a reservation sent by a Rel. 18 UE needs to be understood by Rel. 16 / 17 UEs to avoid wireless collisions. In one implementation, for backward compatibility with Rel. 16 and Rel. 17 UEs, Rel. 18 UEs can be configured to use a Rel. 18 2nd stage SCI and / or a Rel. 18 2nd stage PSSCH to indicate the use of SL-PRS. UEs from Rel.16 / 17 can then be configured to discard the 2nd stage SCI Rel.18 and / or PSSCH when decoding the field to 1st stage SCI or 2nd stage SCI. Furthermore, although some UEs may receive and decode the PSSCH Rel.18, this may not be necessary, and they may also simply discard the PSSCH for energy saving purposes. Alternatively, the same 2nd stage SCIs Rel.16 and Rel.17 can be used by Rel.18 UEs for transmission. Specific destination IDs can be used for SL-PRS transmission. Rel.16 / 17 UEs can be configured to skip PSSCH decoding after interpreting the destination ID. Furthermore, some fields in the 1st stage SCI or 2nd stage SCI may... Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 33 / 88 24 / 39 can be configured to have any value if PSSCH decoding is not required.

[0086] For example, a Rel. 18 UE sends the Rel. 18 SL-PRS and 2nd stage SCI relating to the SL-PRS. Then, another Rel. 18 UE receives the Rel. 18 SL-PRS and 2nd stage SCI. A Rel. 16 / 17 UE can discard the Rel. 18 SL-PRS and 2nd stage SCI. Furthermore, both the Rel. 16 / 17 UE and the other Rel. 18 UE can receive the Rel. 16 and Rel. 17 1st stage SCI.

[0087] As an alternative example, a Rel. 18 UE sends the Rel. 18 Stage 2 SCI relating to the SL-PRS. Then, another Rel. 18 UE receives the Rel. 18 Stage 2 SCI and transmits the SL-PRS based on the Rel. 18 Stage 2 SCI. A Rel. 16 / 17 UE can discard the Rel. 18 Stage 2 SCI. Furthermore, both the Rel. 16 / 17 UE and the other Rel. 18 UE can receive the Rel. 16 and Rel. 17 Stage 1 SCI.

[0088] Certain parameters (e.g., resource set ID, destination ID) can be (pre-)defined for reception filtering, so that each UE can understand the SL-PRS resources assigned for congestion control considerations. In an implementation, a new or reused ID can be assigned as a priority parameter. For example, for a 1st (or 2nd) stage 2-bit SCI information, utility vehicles (e.g., ambulance, fire truck) can be defined with a priority parameter of 0, large vehicles (e.g., buses, trucks) can be defined with a priority parameter of 1, small vehicles (cars, motorcycles) can be defined with a priority parameter of 2, and pedestrians can be defined with a priority parameter of 3. Based on the defined priority parameter and the reception rule(s), the corresponding resources can be used.For example, UEs tagged with a feature set ID of 0 can be configured to monitor all PRS resources with feature set IDs from 0 to 3, while UEs tagged with a feature set ID of 3 can be configured to monitor only PRS resources with a feature ID of 0. This advantageously allows SL-PRS resources to be assigned to an appropriate SL-PRS based on an identifier, to improve SL-PRS transmission efficiency. SL-PRS generation parameters can be obtained from a gNB, from another UE, or self-generated by the UE transmitting or receiving the SL-PRS. In another... Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 34 / 88 25 / 39 implementation, some parameters related to UE ownership (e.g., resource set ID) can be (pre-)defined based on a zone associated with the UE (e.g., geographic areas, altitude ranges, terrain type such as road / path / building). Different UE types within the same zone can be configured to use the same ID. This can be applicable to certain scenarios, such as pedestrians requesting a vehicle position in the same zone or in a different zone (or vice versa). Furthermore, some parameters, such as small-scale offset (within a resource block (RB) or slot, e.g., a resource element (RE), OFDM symbol, or other similar resource), can be (pre-)defined. The offset can be defined along with the definition of a reference time and / or frequent point within a signaling drive or self-generated by the UE that transmits or receives the SL-PRS.The other parameters can be configured dynamically (e.g., resource ID, periodicity, large-scale offsets such as slot / frame / PRB, and other similar parameters). Alternatively, different positioning solutions (e.g., round-trip time (RTT), SL-AoA, SL-TDOA time difference of arrival, and other similar positioning solutions) can be used for distinguishing purposes.

[0089] Examples of signaling for transmission, reception and request of SL-PRS triggered by gNB / UE are shown in Figs. 19-22. Illustration (1900) of Fig. 19 represents signaling for SL-PRS transmission, where a gNB or UE (1902) transmits a signal (1908) requesting the transmission of an SL-PRS (1910) to a UE (1904) and the UE (1904) transmits the SL-PRS (1910) to another UE (1906) based on the signal. Illustration (2000) in Fig. 20 represents signaling for SL-PRS reception, where a gNB or UE (2002) transmits a signal (2008) requesting SL-PRS reception and the UE (2004) receives the two SL-PRS (2010) and (2012) from another UE (2006) based on the signal. Illustration (2100) in Fig.Figure 21 represents another signaling for SL-PRS transmission, in which an UE (2104) transmits a signal (2106) requesting the transmission of an SL-PRS (2108) to one or more other UE(s) (2102) and the UE(s) (2102) transmit(s) the SL-PRS (2108) to the UE (2104) based on the signaling. Furthermore, illustration (2200) in Figure 22 describes another signaling for SL-PRS reception, in which an UE (2204) transmits a signal (2206) requesting the reception of an SL-PRS. [Note: The last line appears to be a fragment of a larger text and doesn't translate directly. It's unclear what the intended meaning is.] 26 / 39 PRS (2208) to one or more other UE(s) (2202) and the UE(s) (2202) receive the SLPRS (2208) from the UE (2204) based on the signaling. A person skilled in the art will understand that the signaling scenarios for SL-PRS transmission are not limited to the examples shown in Figures 19 to 22.

[0090] The solutions proposed in this disclosure are applicable to a dedicated or shared resource pool, and any time / frequency and / or signaling offset may have the same or different parameters depending on whether a dedicated or shared resource pool is used. Furthermore, the solutions proposed in this disclosure may be applied to either Scheme 1 sidelink placement (which is gNB-centric) or Scheme 2 (which is UE-autonomous).

[0091] In an implementation, the triggering and / or requesting of SL-PRS can be through explicit or implicit signaling. Explicit signaling can be a PHY or upper-layer signaling from a gNB, another UE, or self-generated by the UE triggering and / or requesting SL-PRS. Implicit signaling can be an SL-PRS triggering that is inferred from another non-explicit signaling (e.g., specific sequence for RS or PSFCH, specific time or frequency resource allocation for PSCCH / PSSCH / PSFCH, synchronization ID, etc.).

[0092] Fig. 23 shows a flow diagram (2300) illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments. In step (2302), a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) can be generated. In step (2304), the SL-PRS can be transmitted based on a signaling.

[0093] Fig. 24 shows a partially sectioned schematic view of the communication apparatus (2400) which can be implemented according to various embodiments and examples, as shown in Figs. 1 to 23. The communication apparatus (2400) can be implemented as a UE or base station according to various embodiments.

[0094] Several functions and operations of the communication device (2400) are organized in layers according to a hierarchical model. In the model, the lower layers report to the upper layers and receive instructions from them according to the 3GPP technical specifications. For simplicity, the details of the hierarchical model are not discussed in this disclosure.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 24, the communication device (2400) may include a circuit (2414), at least one transmitter (2402), at least one Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 36 / 88 27 / 39 receiver (2404) and at least one antenna (2112) (for simplicity, only one antenna is shown in Fig. 24 for illustrative purposes). The circuit (2414) may include at least one controller (2406) for use in the software- and hardware-assisted execution of tasks that the at least one controller (2406) is designed to perform, including controlling communications with one or more other communication devices on a wireless network. The circuit (2414) may, in addition, include at least one transmit signal generator (2108) and at least one receive signal processor (2410).At least one controller (2406) can control at least one transmission signal generator (2408) to generate signals (e.g., a signal for transmitting or receiving SL-PRS) to be sent through at least one radio transmitter (2402) to one or more other communication devices and at least one receiving signal processor (2410) to process signals (e.g., a signal for transmitting or receiving SL-PRS) received through at least one radio receiver (2404) from one or more other communication devices under the control of at least one controller (2406). The at least one transmission signal generator (2408) and the at least one receiving signal processor (2410) can be stand-alone modules of the communication device (2400) that communicate with at least one controller (2406) for the functions mentioned above, as shown in Figure 24.Alternatively, at least one transmit signal generator (2408) and at least one receive signal processor (2410) may be included in at least one controller (2406). It is noticeable to those skilled in the art that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and may vary depending on practical needs and / or requirements. Data processing, storage and other relevant controls may be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or chipsets. In several embodiments, when in operation, at least one radio transmitter (2402), at least one radio receiver (2404) and at least one antenna (2412) may be controlled by at least one controller (2406).

[0096] The communication device (2400), when in operation, provides functions necessary for the transmission and reception of SL-PRS. For example, the communication device (2400) can be a UE, and the circuit (2414) can, in operation, generate Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 37 / 88 28 / 39 an SL-PRS. The transmitter (2402) can, in operation, transmit the SL-PRS based on a signal.

[0097] The signaling can indicate whether the SL-PRS is periodic or aperiodic, and the transmitter can be configured to transmit the SL-PRS periodically or aperiodically based on the signaling. The transmitter (2402) can also be configured to transmit the SL-PRS with a resource reservation, the resource reservation being a one-to-one reservation, a one-to-multiple reservation, or a multi-to-one reservation. The signaling can be a 1st stage sidelink (SCI control information) and / or a 2nd stage SCI, and the resource reservation is based on the 1st stage SCI, the 2nd stage SCI, or both, 1st stage SCI and 2nd stage SCI.

[0098] The transmitter (2402) can also be configured to transmit the SL-PRS within a window, a counter, or a timer. The signaling may comprise one or more parameters associated with the SL-PRS, and the transmitter (2402) may be configured to transmit the SL-PRS based on one or more parameters. The signaling may be a higher-layer signaling associated with the communication device. The receiver may, while in operation, receive signaling from another communication device, the signaling being a 1st stage sidelink control information (SCI) and / or a 2nd stage, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or a higher-layer signaling associated with another communication device.

[0099] The communication device (2400) can be a UE, and the receiver (2404) can, in operation, receive an SL-PRS based on a signal. The circuit (2414) can, in operation, decode the SL-PRS.

[0100] The receiver (2404) can also be configured to receive the SL-PRS within a window, a counter, or a timer. The signaling can be upper-layer signaling associated with the communication device, or the receiver (2404) can be further configured to receive signaling from another communication device, the signaling being a 1st stage sidelink control information (SCI) and / or a 2nd stage SCI, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or upper-layer signaling associated with another communication device. The communication device can be a user equipment (UE) from Rel.16 / 17, the other communication device can be a UE from Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 38 / 88 29 / 39 Rel.18, the 2nd stage SCI can be a 2nd stage SCI of Rel.18 and the signaling can also include a Physical Shared Sidelink Channel (PSSCH) of Rel.18 and the circuit (2414) can also be configured to discard the 2nd stage SCI of Rel.18 and the PSSCH of Rel.18 when decoding the signaling. The communication device can be a user equipment (UE) of Rel.16 / 17, the other communication device can be a UE of Rel.18, the 2nd stage SCI can be a 2nd stage SCI of Rel.16 / 17 and the signaling can include a PSSCH of Rel.18 and the circuit (2414) can also be configured to skip the decoding of the PSSCH of Rel.18 when decoding the signaling. The signaling may comprise a feature set identifier associated with the SL-PRS and the receiver (2414) may be configured to receive the SL-PRS based on a comparison of the feature set identifier with an identifier associated with the communication device.

[0101] The communication device (2400) can be a first communication device and the circuit (2414) can, in operation, generate a signal indicating a request to transmit or receive an SL-PRS. The transmitter (2402) can, in operation, transmit the signal to a second communication device.

[0102] The signaling may indicate one or more communication devices or one or more types of communication devices for SL-PRS transmission. The transmitter (2402) may also be configured to transmit the signaling as a physical layer (PHY) signal or a higher layer signal based on a priority associated with SL-PRS. The signaling may also indicate a time and / or frequency resource for SL-PRS transmission. The transmitter (2402) may also be configured to transmit the signaling periodically via unicast, groupcast or broadcast. Control Signals

[0103] In this disclosure, the downlink control signal (information) relating to this disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through the physical layer PDCCH or may be a signal (information) transmitted through an upper layer MAC Control Element (CE) or RRC. The downlink control signal may be a predefined signal (information). Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 39 / 88 30 / 39

[0104] The uplink control signal (information) related to this disclosure may be a signal (information) transmitted through the physical layer PUCCH or it may be a signal (information) transmitted through an upper layer MAC CE or RRC. In addition, the uplink control signal may be a predefined signal (information). The uplink control signal may be replaced by uplink control information (UCI), first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) or second-stage SCI. Base Station

[0105] In this disclosure, the base station may be, for example, a Transmit Receiving Point (TRP), a clusterhead, an access point, a Remote Radio Head (RRH), an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a Base Station (BS), a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a base unit, or a gateway. Furthermore, in sidelink communication, a terminal may be used instead of a base station. The base station may be a relay device that relays communication between a higher node and a terminal. The base station may also be a roadside unit. Uplink / downlink / sidelink

[0106] This disclosure can be applied to any uplink, downlink and sidelink.

[0107] This disclosure can be applied to, for example, uplink channels such as PUSCH, PUCCH and PRACH, downlink channels such as PDSCH, PDCCH and PBCH, and sidelink channels such as Sidelink Shared Physical Channel (PSSCH), Sidelink Control Physical Channel (PSCCH) and Sidelink Transmission Physical Channel (PSBCH).

[0108] PDCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PUCCH are examples of a downlink control channel, a downlink data channel, an uplink data channel, and an uplink control channel, respectively. PSCCH and PSSCH are examples of a sidelink control channel and a sidelink data channel, respectively. PBCH and PSBCH are examples of transmission channels, respectively, and PRACH is an example of a random access channel. Data channels / Control channels

[0109] This disclosure can be applied to any of the data channels and control channels. The channels in this disclosure can be replaced by Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 40 / 88 31 / 39 data channels, including PDSCH, PUSCH and PSSCH, and / or control channels, including PDCCH, PUCCH, PBCH, PSCCH and PSBCH. Reference Signs

[0110] In this disclosure, reference signals are signals known to both a base station and a mobile station, and each reference signal may be referred to as a Reference Signal (RS) or, sometimes, a pilot signal. The reference signal may be any of the following: DMRS, Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Tracking Reference Signal (TRS), Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PTRS), Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS), and Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). Time intervals

[0111] In this disclosure, time resource units are not limited to one or a combination of slots and symbols, and may be time resource units such as frames, superframes, subframes, slots, time slot subslots, minislots, or time resource units such as symbols, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (SC-FDMA) symbols, or other time resource units. The number of symbols included in a slot is not limited to any number of symbols exemplified in the embodiment(s) described above, and may be another number of symbols. Frequency Bands

[0112] This disclosure may apply to any licensed or unlicensed band. Communication

[0113] This disclosure can be applied to any communication between a base station and a terminal (Uu-link communication), communication between a terminal and a terminal (sidelink communication), and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. The channels in this disclosure can be replaced by PSCCH, PSSCH, Sidelink Physical Feedback Channel (PSFCH), PSBCH, PDCCH, PUCCH, PDSCH, PUSCH, and PBCH.

[0114] In addition, this disclosure may apply to any terrestrial network or to a network other than a terrestrial network (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network) that uses a satellite or a High Altitude Pseudosatellite (HAPS). Furthermore, this Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 41 / 88 32 / 39 disclosure can be applied to a network with a large cell size and a terrestrial network with a large delay compared to the symbol or slot length, such as an ultra-wideband transmission network. Antenna Ports

[0115] An antenna port refers to a logical antenna (antenna group) formed by one or more physical antennas. That is, the antenna port does not necessarily refer to a single physical antenna, but rather to an array antenna formed by multiple antennas or similar. For example, it is not defined how many physical antennas form the antenna port; instead, the antenna port is defined as the minimum unit by which a terminal can transmit a reference signal. The antenna port can also be defined as the minimum unit for multiplying a vector pre-coding weighting.

[0116] As described above, the achievements of this disclosure provide an advanced communication system, communication methods and communication apparatus that advantageously enable the transmission and reception of SL-PRS.

[0117] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware, or software in cooperation with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each embodiment described above can be partially or wholly implemented by an LSI, such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be controlled partially or wholly by the same LSI or by a combination of LSIs. The LSI can be formed individually as chips, or a single chip can be formed to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI can include a coupled data input and output. The LSI here can be referred to as an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI, depending on the difference in the degree of integration. However, the integrated circuit implementation technique is not limited to the LSI and can be implemented using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a special-purpose processor.Furthermore, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) can be used, which can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and configurations of the circuit cells arranged within the LSI can be reconfigured. This deployment can be carried out as digital or analog processing. If future integrated circuit technology replaces LSIs as a result of advances in semiconductor technology or other factors... Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 42 / 88 33 / 39 derived technology, the functional blocks could be integrated using future integrated circuit technology. Biotechnology could also be applied.

[0118] This disclosure can be made by any type of apparatus, device or system that has a communication function, which is called a communication apparatus.

[0119] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include a telephone (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone), a tablet, a personal computer (PC) (e.g., laptop, desktop, netbook), a camera (e.g., digital camera / video camera), a digital player (e.g., digital audio / video player), a wearable device (e.g., wearable camera, smartwatch, tracking device), a game console, an e-reader, a telehealth / telemedicine device (e.g., remote health and medicine), and a vehicle that provides communication functionality (e.g., automotive, airplane, ship) and various combinations thereof.

[0120] The communication device is not limited to being portable or mobile and may also include any type of non-portable or stationary appliance, device or system, such as a smart home device (e.g., a household appliance, lighting, smart meter, control panel), a vending machine and any other “things” on an “Internet of Things (IoT)” network.

[0121] Communication can include the exchange of data through, for example, a cellular system, a wireless LAN system, a satellite system, etc., and various combinations thereof.

[0122] The communication apparatus may comprise a device such as a controller or sensor that is coupled to a communication device that performs a communication function described in this disclosure. For example, the communication apparatus may comprise a controller or sensor that generates control signals or data signals that are used by a communication device that performs a communication function of the communication apparatus.

[0123] The communication apparatus may also include an infrastructure installation, such as a base station, an access point and any other apparatus, Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 43 / 88 34 / 39 device or system that communicates with or controls devices such as those in the non-limiting examples above.

[0124] It is understood that, although some properties of the various embodiments have been described with reference to one device, corresponding properties also apply to the methods of various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0125] This disclosure may refer to the following statements: Declaration 1. Communication device, consisting of: a circuit that, when in operation, generates a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and a transmitter that, when in operation, transmits the SL-PRS based on a signaling signal. Since it is not straightforward to reuse existing DL-PRS techniques for SL-PRS transmission (as SL is a UE-to-UE transmission), the "transmit SL-PRS based on signaling" feature introduces signaling for SL-PRS transmission to advantageously provide a solution on how SL-PRS can be transmitted by a UE. Declaration 2. The communication apparatus of Declaration 1, in which the signaling indicates whether the SL-PRS is periodic or aperiodic and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the SL-PRS periodically or aperiodically based on the signaling. The feature “transmit SL-PRS periodically or aperiodically based on signaling” allows the signaling to indicate how the SL-PRS can be transmitted (periodically or aperiodically) depending on the application. Declaration 3. The communication apparatus of Declaration 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit SL-PRS with a resource reservation, the resource reservation being a one-to-one reservation, a one-to-multiple reservation or a multi-to-one reservation. The feature “transmit SL-PRS with a resource reservation, with the resource reservation being one-to-one, one-to-multiple, or one-to-multiple” allows the implementation of different resource reservation modes for SL-PRS, depending on the application. In contrast, DL-PRS does not require different reservation types, as a gNB can dynamically schedule DL-PRS. Statement 4. The communication device of Statement 3, wherein the signaling is a first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) and / or a Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 44 / 88 35 / 39 The second-stage SCI and the resource allocation are based on the first-stage SCI, the second-stage SCI, or both (first-stage and second-stage SCI). The feature “signaling is sidelink control information (SCI) from a 1st and / or 2nd stage, and resource reservation is based on the 1st stage SCI, the 2nd stage SCI, or both 1st and 2nd stage SCIs” allows the 1st and / or 2nd stage SCI to be used as signaling to provide parameters for SL-PRS resource reservation. Statement 5. The communication device of Statement 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the SL-PRS within a window, a counter or a timer. Transmitting SL-PRS within a window, a counter, or a timer allows for efficient transmission to minimize power usage, as well as managing congestion control. Statement 6. The communication device of Statement 1, wherein the signaling comprises one or more parameters associated with SL-PRS, and the transmitter is configured to transmit SL-PRS based on one or more parameters. The feature “the signaling comprises one or more parameters associated with the SL-PRS” allows flexibility in the arrangement of the SL-PRS parameters (in addition to providing such parameters through (pre-)configuration, obtained from a gNB, obtained from another SL-UE or self-generated by the transmitting UE) depending on the application. Statement 7. The communication device of Statement 1, wherein the signaling is upper-layer signaling associated with the communication device. Using the UE's own top-layer signage as signage allows the signage to be independent of other devices, if necessary. Declaration 8. The communication apparatus of Declaration 1, further comprising a receiver which, in operation, receives signaling from another communication apparatus, the signaling being a first-stage sidelink control information (SCI) and / or a second-stage SCI, a Physical Control Channel of Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 45 / 88 36 / 39 Downlink (PDCCH), or a higher-layer signaling system associated with another communication device. This feature advantageously allows the origin of the signage to be flexible depending on the application. Declaration 9. Communication apparatus comprising: a receiver which, in operation, receives a sidelink positioning reference signal (SLPRS) based on a signaling system; and a circuit which, in operation, decodes the SLPRS. Since it is not straightforward to reuse existing DL-PRS techniques for SL-PRS transmission (as SL is a UE-to-UE transmission), the "receive SL-PRS based on signaling" feature introduces signaling for SL-PRS reception to advantageously provide a solution on how SL-PRS can be received by a UE. Statement 10. The communication device of Statement 9, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the SL-PRS within a window, a counter or a timer. Receiving SL-PRS within a window, a counter, or a timer allows for efficient transmission to minimize energy usage, as well as managing congestion control. Declaration 11. The communication device of Declaration 9, wherein the signaling is upper-layer signaling associated with the communication device or wherein the receiver is further configured to receive signaling from another communication device, the signaling being a 1st-stage sidelink control information (SCI) and / or a 2nd-stage SCI, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or upper-layer signaling associated with another communication device. Using the UE's own top-layer signaling as signaling allows the signaling to be independent of other devices, if necessary. Furthermore, it is also possible for the signaling to be received from another UE, allowing the signaling origin to be flexible depending on the application. Declaration 12. The communication device of Declaration 11, wherein the communication device is user equipment (EU) of Rel. 16 / 17, the other Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, p. 46 / 88 37 / 39 communication device is a Rel.18 UE, the 2nd stage SCI is a 2nd stage SCI of Rel.18, and the signaling also comprises a Rel.18 Sidelink Shared Physical Channel (PSSCH), and the circuit is further configured to discard the Rel.18 2nd stage SCI and Rel.18 PSSCH when decoding the signaling. This feature advantageously allows for backward compatibility for Rel.16 / 17 UEs when receiving a Rel.18-based signal from a Rel.18 UE. Declaration 13. The communication apparatus of Declaration 11, wherein the communication apparatus is a user equipment (UE) of Rel.16 / 17, the other communication apparatus is a UE of Rel.18, the 2nd stage SCI is a 2nd stage SCI of Rel.16 / 17 and the signaling comprises a PSSCH of Rel.18 and the circuit is further configured to skip the decoding of the PSSCH of Rel.18 when decoding the signaling. This feature enables backward compatibility for Rel.16 / 17 UEs when receiving a Rel.16 / 17-based signal from a Rel.18 UE. Statement 14. The communication device of Statement 9, wherein the signaling comprises a feature set identifier associated with the SLPRS, and the receiver is configured to receive the SL-PRS based on a comparison of the feature set identifier with an identifier associated with the communication device. The feature “receive SL-PRS based on comparison of the resource set identifier with an identifier associated with the communication device” allows SL-PRS resources to be assigned to an appropriate SL-PRS based on an identifier, to improve SL-PRS transmission efficiency. Declaration 15. A first communication device, comprising: The circuit, when in operation, generates a signal indicating a request to transmit or receive a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and a transmitter, which when in operation transmits the signal to a second communication device. Since reusing existing DL-PRS techniques for SL-PRS transmission is not straightforward (as SL is EU-to-EU transmission), the "generate... and transmit the signaling..." feature introduces signaling for SL-PRS transmission. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 47 / 88 38 / 39 to advantageously provide a solution on how SL-PRS can be transmitted by an EU. Declaration 16. The first communication device of Declaration 15, wherein the marking indicates one or more communication devices or one or more types of communication devices for SL-PRS transmission. By specifying one or more communication devices or one or more types of communication devices for SL-PRS transmission in the signaling, broadcast / groupcast signaling can be advantageously enabled while selectively indicating which communication device will transmit the SL-PRS. Statement 17. The first communication device of Statement 15, in which the transmitter is still configured to transmit the signaling as either a physical layer (PHY) signal or a higher layer signal based on a priority associated with SL-PRS. The feature “transmit signaling as a physical layer (PHY) signal or a higher layer signal based on an SL-PRS associated priority” allows you to define the signaling transmission mode based on an SL-PRS associated priority, so that a more efficient transmission mode can be provided for a higher priority. Declaration 18. The first communication device of Declaration 16, in which the signaling also indicates a time and / or frequency resource for SL-PRS transmission. By specifying a time and / or frequency resource for SLPRS transmission, it is possible to implement resource management for SLPRS transmission based on signaling. Declaration 19. The first communication device of Declaration 16, in which the transmitter is still configured to transmit the signal periodically via unicast, groupcast or broadcast. This feature allows signaling to be transmitted via unicast, groupcast, or broadcast periodically (e.g., from an anchor UE), depending on the application. Declaration 20. A communication method comprising: generating a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and transmitting the SLPRS based on a signaling signal. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 48 / 88 39 / 39 Since it is not straightforward to reuse existing DL-PRS techniques for SL-PRS transmission (as SL is a UE-to-UE transmission), the "transmit SL-PRS based on signaling" feature introduces signaling for SL-PRS transmission to advantageously provide a solution on how SL-PRS can be transmitted by a UE.

[0126] A person skilled in the art will understand that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the present disclosure, as shown in the specific embodiments, without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure, as broadly described. The present embodiments should therefore be considered, in all respects, illustrative and not restrictive. Petition 870250085639, dated 09 / 22 / 2025, page 49 / 88

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Communication apparatus, characterized in that it comprises: a circuit which, when operating, generates a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and a transmitter which, when operating, transmits the SL-PRS based on a signaling signal.

2. Communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the signaling indicates a periodicity of the SL-PRS and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the SL-PRS periodically based on the signaling.

3. Communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter is additionally configured to transmit SLPRS with a resource reservation, the resource reservation being either a one-to-one reservation or a one-to-multiple reservation.

4. Communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the resource reservation is a one-to-multiple reservation, the multiple is configurable.

5. Communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that the signaling is a first-stage sidelink control information (SCI), and the resource reservation is based on the first-stage SCI.

6. Communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter is additionally configured to transmit the SLPRS within a window or a counter.

7. Communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the signaling comprises one or more parameters associated with SL-PRS and the transmitter is configured to transmit SL-PRS based on one or more parameters.

8. Communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the signaling is a higher-layer signaling associated with the communication apparatus.

9. Communication apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a receiver which, in operation, receives the signaling from another communication apparatus, the signaling being a first-stage sidelink control information (SCI), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), or a higher-layer signaling associated with another communication apparatus.

10. Communication apparatus characterized in that it comprises: a receiver which, in operation, receives a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) based on a signaling; and a circuit which, in operation, decodes the SL-PRS.

11. Communication device according to claim 9, characterized in that the receiver is additionally configured to receive SL-PRS within a window.

12. Communication apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the signaling is upper-layer signaling associated with the communication apparatus or in that the receiver is additionally configured to receive signaling from another communication apparatus, the signaling being a first-stage sidelink control information (SCI), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or upper-layer signaling associated with another communication apparatus.

13. Communication device according to claim 12, characterized in that an SL-PRS priority is indicated by a physical layer (PHY) signaling or a higher layer signaling.

14. Communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that the priority of the SL-PRS is established from eight values.

15. Communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that the signaling further indicates a time and / or frequency resource for SL-PRS transmission.

16. Communication apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the transmitter is further configured to transmit the signal periodically via unicast, groupcast or broadcast.

17. Communication device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter is configured to transmit the signaling via groupcast or broadcast when activated by another communication device.

18. Communication method, characterized by the fact that it comprises: Petition 870250086514, dated 09 / 24 / 2025, page 8 / 13 3 / 3 generation of a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS); and transmission of the SL-PRS based on a signaling.

19. Integrated circuit characterized in that it comprises: a circuit which, in operation, generates a sidelink positioning reference signal (SLPRS); and transmits the SL-PRS based on a signaling signal.

20. Integrated circuit characterized in that it comprises: a circuit which, in operation, receives a sidelink positioning reference signal (SL-PRS) based on a signaling; and decodes the SL-PRS. Petition 870250086514, dated 09 / 24 / 2025, page 9 / 13

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